Improvement in soda-water apparatus



Ulvrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE..

JAMES w. Turrs, or Mnnronn, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPRovi-:MENT IN SODA-WATER APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 146,294, dated January G, 1874; application filed December 17, 1873.

To all 'whom it may concern:

4Be it known that I, JAMES W. TUFTs, of Medford, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Soda-VVater Apparatus; and I do hereby declare that the following, taken in connection with the drawings which accompany and form part of this specification, is a description of my invention sufiicient to enable those skilled in the art to practice it.

The invention relates particularly to details of construction of the ice and sirup containing case of a soda-water apparatus and the connections thereof, the invention having particular reference to the disposition, within the case, of the cooler-pipe through which the sodawater passes to be cooled; to the arrangement of the pipe extending from the fountain to the case; to the combination of an overiow-pipe with a let-off or drain pipe, and to combining, with the fountain connecting-pipe, a coupler `containing a strainer, for preventing any foreign matter in the fountain from passing into the connecting-pipe or dispensing apparatus.

The drawing represents a case and its appendages embodying my invention. Figure l shows the same in plan, the cover and part of the"4 sirup-cans being removed. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same with one. wall of the case removed.

a denotes the main case; b, the series of sirupcans or vessels; c, the ice-containing chamber or space, said space being between the. cans b and well d, and under the cans b. At the bottomy of the case, and extending from side to side and from end to end of the case, lies the cooler-pipe c, this pipe being inclosed within a rectangular frame, f, and having alternate semicircular bends g at opposite sides ofthe case, the parts of the pipe between the bends lying closely together, with a spread at h, to permit a tube, t', to pass up.

By this arrangement of the cooler-tube it is wholly placed within the bottom of the case, in the coolest part thereof, and Where it must be in contact with the ice, from the fact that it forms the bottom upon which the ice directly rests. Thus applied, and with the encompassing frame, it may be readily removed and replaced.

To make the connection from the side fountain to the cooler-pipe, the connecting-pipe k is made with a coupling-screw, Z, attached to the under side of the bottom of the case, the pipe extending therefrom under the case to the end wall m, thence up by the end wall, on the outer side thereof, nearly to the top of the case, and thence, by a right-angular bend, n, into the case, where, by a suitable coupling, it is united to the vertical extension o of .the cooler-pipe, riuiuing up by the inner side of the wall m, this arrangement keeping the pipe k outside of the case', and preventing the obstruction of the space within the case by its presence there. The several pipes leading from the fountain for the various kinds of aerated water to be dispensed will be arranged side by side with the pipe k.

' By arranging the connecting-pipe k to lead into the end of the case, and to there connect with the cooler, I obtain a perfectly clear space for the ice-chamber, or a space which, being entirely free from pipes, enables the ice to settle at all times down to the coolers, instead of collecting or arching around pipes, the presence of which necessitates continual attention to break up the ice, that it may fall to the bottom of the case. The arrangement also enables larger cakes of ice to be placed in the chamber, and permits more ready access to the bottom of the chamber.

fi denotes the overow-pipe, through which accumulating water will always escape if it rises to the level of the top of said pipe. Side of this y pipe is a draw-off or drain pipe, leading from the bottom of the case, and having its outer` end stopped by a plug, r. By means of the two pipes, provision is made both for the retention of the cool water up to a certain height, and for drawing off such water, whenever necessary, by a pipe which, leading from the bottom of the case, is kept closed except when necessary to draw off all of the water in the case. To the coupling l is connected the pipe p, to which the fountain is coupled. The fountain-coupler s is permanently fastened to the pipe p, and is secured to the fountain by a clamp, or by any other suitable means. In this coupler I place the strainer t, which strainer prevents any sediment or foreign matter in the fountain from passing into the pipe, while, whenever an empty fountain is discon- 3. The Combination, with the oase a and its Sirup-cans and coolers7 of the oVerloW-pipe and draw-off pipe q, substantially as shown and described.

4. In combination with the fountain-pipe p, the coupling s, formed or provided With the strainer t, substantially as shown and described.

JAMES W. TUFTS.

Witnesses:

FRANCIS GroULD7 M. W. FROTHINGHAM. 

